Love Is About Giving Up Everything
by Shattered Echoes
Summary: Fry is the key to saving the man that Leela is to marry. This causes Leela to rethink her feelings for Fry. The question is, will Leela let Fry sacrifice his own life to save that of the man she loves? Chp 13 is now up!
1. Assumed Infatuation

Disclaimer: I do not own Futurama and therefore do not own any of the characters here..well except for Rodney. That little hunk is my own creation. But aside from that...I'm not associated with Fox..or Futurama..or any of that. And now that I'm finished with the legal junk...enjoy the fan fic!  
  
Love is About Giving Up....Everything  
  
Chapter One - Assumed Infatuation  
  
"My robotic love, my hard drive belongs to you and you alone." Calculon's voice could be heard from the television sitting before Fry and Bender. The two friends sat on the couch, a bag of chips between them. Bender was watching All My Circuits intently, but Fry's mind was noticeably elsewhere. In his eyes, the charming Calculon was but he himself and the beautiful fem bot he held in his arms was the one woman he had loved since he came to the 31st century and would love until the day he died, Toranga Leela.  
  
Bender interrupted his thoughts, "That Calculon. Lucky bastard always gets his girl."  
  
Fry was jolted back into the real world for a moment and the visions of he and Leela were lost. "What? Oh, yeah....he always gets the girl..." his voice trailed off as Leela entered the room. Her deep purple hair hung loose about her fair shoulders and the dark blue dress she wore was cut low and gave a perfect view of her impressive display of cleavage. The slit up the side of the dress showed off her perfectly shaped and well-toned legs. She was obviously off on another date with Rodney, another handsome hunk who always seemed to get his girl. "Lucky bastard," Fry muttered to himself.  
  
"I know, that's what I just told you. Fry, where are you..Fry....Fry...Earth to Fry!....oh forget it." Fry's attention had been turned to Leela and there it stayed, but it did not go unnoticed by Bender, who watched Fry as intently as he was watching Leela. He knew Fry had a thing for Leela; actually, everyone at Planet Express knew, but despite Fry's often desperate attempts to gain Leela's affection, she had yet to show any real interest in her clumsy suitor. Bender personally couldn't understand what Fry saw in her, but it was obviously enough to make him make a fool of himself time and time again doing things in hopes of obtaining feelings that reflected his own. Bender chuckled, reached his hand into Fry's pocket, taking his wallet, and then went back to his show. He would never understand humans or the crazy things their emotions made them do.  
  
Fry continued to watch Leela as she busied herself gathering her belongings and readying herself for her date. She was lost in her own little world and again Fry's presence went unnoticed. The constant chatter and playful banter they had once engaged in as Leela readied herself for her dates had slowly come to a halt once she started seeing Rodney. The perpetual smile that she had seemed to sport for the last few months was a testimony in itself to her feelings for Rodney. Fry knew that it was serious and that he was loosing ground quickly. If he didn't make a move soon, he knew that he would loose all chance at winning her heart. But he also knew that he had never seen her so happy in all the time that he had known her, happier than any time she had been with him. Besides, wasn't that what love was, wanting the other person to be happy?  
  
Leela left the room, completely oblivious to the presence of Fry and Bender. Fry sighed and fell back against the couch. He would never win her love and this knowledge weighed heavy on his heart. He turned his attention back to the show, but couldn't bring himself to concentrate.  
  
"Come on, bone bag, just tell her how you feel," Bender said casually.  
  
Fry was startled, "I...I don't know what you're talking about. Leela and I are just friends.."  
  
Bender took a long swig of his beer, "Just tell her what you feel and if she responds, then you got lucky. If not," he took another long drink, "the you just knock the broad off and move on." Bender stook up off the couch and stretched, "I'm gonna go get some more beer, Romeo, you want anything?"  
  
Fry felt for his wallet and looked disappointed, "No, I'm broke."  
  
"Tsk, Tsk, too much months at the end of the money, huh? Oh well. I'm gonna take off; I'll meet you back at the apartment later," Bender said as he started out the door.  
  
"We're just friends!" Fry continued to protest as Bender left Planet Express.  
  
Bender responded from the other side of the door, "Whatever!"  
  
Fry remained on the couch for the remainder of All My Circuits, but he couldn't focus on the show. Leela had come and gone twice since Bender left and had failed to notice Fry on both occasions. He was hurt that his presence no longer seemed to matter to her. He had once been such a large part of her life, but had since been replaced by Rodney. For a time he had thought that he might actually have a chance at winning her heart, she had even stopped dating for a time and started to spend more time with him. And then she met Rodney and everything changed. Sergeant Rodney Jones was an officer in Zaap Brannigan's galactic army, inadverdently introduced to Leela by Zapp himself. Rodney's youthful charm complimented his striking good looks and piercing blue eyes. He had come into their lives and swept Leela off her feet and right out of Fry's arms.  
  
Fry flippped the television off and reclined on the couch. Sighing, he watched the empty room for any sign of life. Zoidberg had been in his office most of the day as had Hermes and the Professor. Amy was off on a date with Kipf. He was due to leave with Rodney on the galacatic tour, so Fry figured they'd be out pretty much all night. Leela was the only one around and she would be leaving soon. For the first time since he first met her, Fry realized how truly alone he was in the 31st century.  
  
He caught sight of Leela's form out of the corner of his eye. She moved gracefully in her heels and was even more beautiful out of her daily uniform. He smiled as she turned and showed a milky white back from the deep v in the dress. She was perfect in every way and he longed for her, physically and emotionally. He watched her intently as she passed the couch, finally noticing his gaze.  
  
"What?" Leela asked him, a confused look on her face.  
  
Fry smiled, drinking up the beautiful image before him. She's gorgeous, he thought, like a goddess. He shook his head, "You just look really nice Leela, I...uh...." He was at a loss for words, as was usual when it came to her.  
  
She looked at him expectantly for a moment and then smiled, "Thanks, Fry," she said, bending down and kissing him lightly on the cheek. He smiled and sat up to hug her.  
  
"Have fun, Leela," Fry said into her hair. She smiled and Fry watched her walk without a word out the same door that Bender had left through. He relaxed back on the couch and his smiled faded. There had been something friendly in her kiss, but that was all. The spark that had been there before was gone and the sparkle in her eye was meant for Rodney, not him. He laid his head against the armrest and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander into fantasies of he and Leela; fantasies without Rodney or Zapp or any other man that seemed the catch her fancy. In his fantasies, she belonged to him alone and she was intrigued by and attracted to his seemingly clumsy twentieth century charm. And, in his fantasies, he always knew exactly what to say. He let the thoughts lull him to sleep, a slight smile on his face. 


	2. A Promise is Made

Disclaimer: I don't own Futurama and am not in anyway associated with the show itself or with Fox.  
  
Chapter Two -- A Promise is Made  
  
"Wake up you lazy good-for-nothing," Hermes said, shaking Fry, "You can't sleep here. You don't pay us rent. Go home, Fry."  
  
Fry sat up, stretching. He looked at his watch, it was 9:30. Ignoring Hermes's ongoing lecture about "nothing is free in this world" and "if you keep staying here, it's going to come out of your paycheck," he got off the couch and left Planet Express.  
  
Fry walked through the building but upon reaching the front door, he decided against going home. Turning the corner, he walked the dark streets towards Leela's building, hoping that she would be there and willing to talk. That was the way it had been before Rodney came into the picture. He and Leela would sit up for hours on end in her kitchen and talk about anything and everything imaginable.  
  
He smiled as he walked to her room, creating in his mind the scenes that were sure to ensue. She would open her door and smile, pleasantly surprised by his visit. After a quick hug, perhaps even a kiss on the cheek, he would be invited in and they would talk til all hours, he sitting at her desk, his red jacket hung over the back of the chair and she lounging on the bed in her barely-there pajamas, stroking Nibbler as the little monster purred in contentment. It would remind them both of the old times and she would send him off with a farewell kiss or maybe, if he got lucky, she would ask him to spend the night.  
  
That was, of course, unless she wasn't home yet, which seemed to be the case. Fry's smile faded as he continued to knock with no avail. Fry leaned up against the wall, his body feeling heavier by the second. He hadn't allowed for her not being home. He hadn't allowed for her having a wonderful time with Rodney and probably still being with him. Finally, he just slumped to the floor by room 1I. He had no interest in leaving, but he knew that he couldn't stay there the whole night, waiting for Leela in front of her door. Not only would he look pretty pathetic when she finally did show up, but what if she was with Rodney and brought him home with her for the night? She would see him waiting for her and what then? He knew it was settled, he would have to go home and hope that Bender was there. At least then he wouldn't be alone for the night. Fry got to his feet and started down the hall again slowly, his mind on Leela.  
  
Leela sat on her bed, leaning against the pillows, Nibbler asleep beside her. She had heard the knocking at her door and knew that it was most likely Fry coming to see how her date went and to just lounge around and talk, but she wasn't in the mood for company at the moment. The night had gone wonderfully, but now she needed time for personal reflection. Sighing, she spread her fingers out in front of her to admire the diamond ring on her finger. A look of quiet contentment came over her tear streaked face as she reflected once again on the events of the evening.  
  
Rodney had been scheduled to leave for the Galactic army base the next day and took Leela out as a farewell gift. He would be gone for the next two years as he fulfilled his duties in the galactic conquests of Zapp Brannigan. The original plan had been to double with Kipf and Amy, but Rodney had insisted on their privacy.  
  
They sat in a cozy corner booth at Elzar's, the place where she and Rodney had first met. They ate by the soft glow of the candlelight and when the robo-minstrels appeared and began to play their song, Rodney had pulled her close to him and took her in his arms. He had been so warm agianst her and closing her eyes, she could remember his scent and the feel of his warm breath on her hair. Her lips still remembered the kiss that followed.  
  
After dinner, they sat and talked, slowing sipping on cappucinos. Rodney's arm remained around her and every so often he would softly raise her head and she would gaze into his youthfully chiseled face framed by flowing raven-black hair. His smile was enchanting and his voice melodious. When he began to speak to her, she laid her head on his chest, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat.  
  
"Leela," he said, taking her hand, "I'm going to miss you so much. There won't be a day that your beautiful face doesn't cross my mind and during the long, lonely nights, your voice will be my lullaby," he could feel her smile on his chest and continued, "You know that there is nothing in this world that means more to me than you do. My life has been a realized Utopia since you came into it. I don't even think you fully realize the effect you have on me."  
  
Leela lifted her head and looked into his eyes. There was nothing there but love and longing. She knew that he would miss her because she saw it in his eyes, the same way that she knew that he loved her. She traced her fingers along his jaw and slightly guided his face into a deep kiss.  
  
Rodney returned her kiss and as he gently pulled away, he cupped a side of her face in his hand. His skin was a dark contrast to her mily white skin that seemed to glow under the soft light of the candles.  
  
"Leela, you are so beautiful and you mean so much to me. The only thing I care about in this life is your happiness. That's why I'm doing what I am about to do." He removed himself from her embrace and pulled out a small ring box. Leela's face lit up as he opened it and displayed a shimmering diamond.  
  
"I had asked you out tonight with the intent of asking you to become my wife, but sitting here with you now makes me realize that I can't do that."  
  
Leela's smile was washed away in a tidal wave of confusion, "I...I don't understand.."  
  
He raised a single finger to her perfectly formed lips, silencing her, "Shh, my love, let me explain. The reason that I cannot ask you to marry me tonight is because I love you so much. We have been together a mere six months, but they have been the happiest six months of my life. I am going to be leaving on Friday, only a few hours from now and I won't see you for a good two years. It won't be fair to wed you and then take off galavanting around the galaxy. That's why this mean to be engagement ring is going to stand for a promise."  
  
Leela couldn't believe her ears and her eye began to widen in confusion. She cleared her throat and blinked back the tears that were fighting to come.  
  
"My love," Rodney continued, "this ring is to stand as my promise to you that you are the only woman in my heart and that you always will be. This is my promise that I will love you until the day that you die, my promise that I will do whatever it takes for you to be happy."  
  
She began to relax a little as he slid the ring on her finger and leaned into kiss her. He smiled as he pulled away and folded her fingers into themselves forming a small fist.  
  
"Now," he said, "when you wear this ring, you're making a promise to me that if you should find someone that loves you as much as I do and who will make you happy before I return, you won't wait for me. If love finds you, Leela, promise me that you will take in into your heart. If I should return in two years time and you're still wearing this ring, then I promise you with my life Toranga Leela, that I will take you as my bride and I will love you until the end of time."  
  
"Oh, Rodney," Leela choked out as the tears began to run down her cheeks. He kissed them away gently and then took her into his arms. I will always love you Rodney, she promised herself silently, there is no one else for me.  
  
Sitting on her bed now, she admired her ring and the promise that Rodney made to her rang in her ears. The tears wanted to come again at the thought of his dying at war or her not being able to marry the man of her dreams. As she laid down under the covers and snuggled to Nibbler, though, she was finally able to smile through her tears. Fate was on her side this time. In two years, she would marry Rodney Jones. 


	3. Friends and Lovers

Chapter Three -- Friends and Lovers  
  
A tired looking Leela entered the empty Planet Express lobby early the next morning. The unusual silence of the room was pleasant and she knew it would give her a chance to think before the others began to arrive.  
  
Silently, she began to brew coffee and then sat down alone at the kitchen table to think. Last night had been like a dream, but the ring on her finger convinced her that it was real. She was engaged to Rodney Jones....or was she? Was that promise last night a proposal? She had been so overcome with shock that she hadn't uttered another word the entire evening. His words kept playing over and over in her mind, "if you find someone else who loves you like I do, then don't wait for me..."  
  
Looking into the coffee cup, she stared at her own reflection in the dark liquid.It sounded so romantic, but why would he even bring up the possibility that I would find someone else. Doesn't he realize how much I love him? There isn't anyone else in this world that I want to spend my life with. At that moment, Fry's face appeared in her mind, his gentle eyes and kind smile. So boyish and so innocent, so unlike Rodney's masculine appearance. She shook her head in disbelief. Why, of all things, had she thought of Fry right now?  
  
Leela sat in silence for another hour, turning Rodney's words around in her head and trying to decipher the hidden meaning she knew existed behind the gossamer promises. She couldn't come to a conclusion and her train of thought was finally interrupted by another member of the Planet Express team entering the Lobby. It was Fry. He walked in with his head down, not noticing Leela in the kitchen at first.  
  
Unthinking, Leela stood to greet her friend, but as she reached the kitchen door, she stopped. Something compelled her to take off the ring. She didnt know why, but reasoned to herself that she simply didnt want to bombard Fry with it all at once. Deep down, though, it didn't make much sense and she knew it. Fry's a good friend, she thought to herself, he'll be happy for me; why should I hide it from him? She slipped the ring back on her finger and walked into the lobby.  
  
Walking into the kitchen, Fry nearly walked right into Leela. His head snapped up and a big smile spread across his face. She smiled back and for the first time in a long time in the friendship, there was an awkward silence between the two of them. Fry finally broke it and leaned in to hug Leela gently and place a slight kiss on her cheek before he walked past her and to the refrigerator.  
  
"Did you have a good time with Rodney last night," Fry asked, his head buried in the ice box.  
  
Leela still stood in the doorway. She watched Fry at the refrigerator and wondered what she had expected out of the entire thing. Finally, she crossed to the table and sat down. "We had a good time," she said finally, "We talked a lot."  
  
Fry nodded in silence and sat down accross from Leela with a bowl of Bachelor Chow.  
  
"So...what did you do last night?" she asked him.  
  
Fry shrugged, about to tell her a story he fabricated about a wild night out with a few lady friends that didn't exist. And then, he saw the ring. Though he tried to act as though he hadn't even noticed it, he nearly choked on his Bachelor Chow. He knew what that was and he knew who it came from. Suddenly, whether or not he had gone out last night didn't mean anything. He was about to ask about it and then stopped himself. If she wanted to tell him about last night, she would. And besides, maybe if he ignored the ring he could just pretend that it didnt exist. Finally, Leela broke the silence, "He took me to Elzar's. It where we first met, you know."  
  
Fry nodded, still concentrating deeply on cereal, "I know."  
  
"Right...well, we had a nice time," Leela said, a bit defensively.  
  
Fry looked up from his cereal and into Leela's eye. She's my friend, he thought to himself, and I can't hurt her like this. She wants me to be happy for her and I will be. It's not like she got engaged just to hurt me. I should be happy that she's happy. He reached accross the table and took Leela's right hand, still ignoring the ring, "Leela, I'm really glad that you had a good time last night," he said as sincerely as he could, "and I know that you and Rodney will be very happy together and as your best friend, I wish you all the happiness in the world."  
  
Leela looked at him in gentle surprise. Where the hell had that come from? From the look on Fry's face, he seemed to be asking himself the same thing. He had never been that open and frank and honest with her before, and thinking back Leela had to note that it was one of the least idiotic advances he had ever made. Maybe, she thought, it's because its not an advance. Maybe he's finally accepted that we're just good friends. She should have been happy at the thought, even relieved, so why did her chest feel so heavy and why was her eye burning with soon to be tears?  
  
She managed a tight smile at Fry, but the tears were threatening to fall and Fry's hand still holding hers didn't help the matter. She blushed slightly at the warmth of his larger hand on hers. His face flashed in her mind again with Rodney's words and she blinked them back. No, Leela, do not do this to yourself. You've got the man of your dreams waiting for you. Suddenly she realized how many meanings that statement had.  
  
"Leela...Leela...is something wrong?" Fry asked her, still holding her hand, a look of concern on his face.  
  
"What? No, nothing's wrong," she said, glancing down at Fry's hand. He met her gaze and seemed embarassed.  
  
"Oh...sorry," he said as he quickly pulled his hand away. After another awkward moment, Fry resigned to his Bachelor Chow, remaining silent for the rest of the meal. He prayed for the rest of the crew to arrive so that he wouldn't be forced to sit accross from the woman that he had planned to spend the rest of his life with and pretend that he was happy she was marrying someone else. "What is up with you meat bags? Do you guys sleep here or --- holy shit, is that rock real?" Bender's voice resonated from beside Fry. He hadn't heard him enter, but he closed his eyes momentarily and mentally thanked his robotic friend for small favors.  
  
Bender walked over to Leela and she placed her hand in his to let him examine the ring. Using one of his eyes as a magnifying glass to inspect it, Bender began to make what should have been casual conversation, "I never thought I'd see the day when you weren't sacking it up with Zapp." Leela's cheeks reddened as she was reminded of the night so long ago spent with that egotistical bastard of a Captain, Zapp Brannigan. She set her jaw, "That was only once Bender and if I were you I'd be damned glad that I did it, too. It got your sorry asses out of jail."  
  
Bender chuckled, "Well, if I were you, I would've killed myself on the spot, but that's just me." Leela noticed a slight tinge of anger rising in Fry's face. Apparently, so did Bender because she pulled Leela off of her chair and into a hug. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the ring being pulled off gently.  
  
"Aw, you know I'm just jokin' with ya cyclops. I'm happy for ya." Leela smiled and then sat back down. Bender slapped Fry on the back in jest.  
  
"Well meatbag, looks like you gotta find some other one eyed mutant to fantasize about. This one is sold as is"  
  
Fry tensed up and looked at Bender, "The ring, Bender."  
  
"What? What ring?"  
  
"Give her back the ring."  
  
"I don't know what you're - hey!" Fry stood up abruptly and yanked open Bender's front compartment, rummaging through empty beer bottles to find Leela's ring. All the while, Bender vebally protested. Fry stood up, holding the ring and for the first time got a really good look at it. It was beautiful, but it could never compare to Leela. In Fry's eyes, she was too good even for this ring. He laid it down on the table next to Leela.  
  
For a moment, Fry didn't know what to say and found himself in an awkward situation once again. In an monotoned voice that even his own ears didn't recognize, he said, "I'm going to go start loading for the deliveries today. I'll see you guys later."  
  
Fry walked out the door, leaving a stunned Bender looking at the pile of beer bottles on the floor and an unknowingly longing friend staring at the ring that held the key to a future that she was suddenly unwilling to take. Awkward silences were abundant that morning as another one reared its head.  
  
"Well, I've been violated," Bender said, looking at the pile of beer bottles around him. "Wait..." he reached into his compartment and an angered look came over his face, "That thief took his wallet back! PINCHE CHAPERO!" Bender yelled after Fry.  
  
To Bender's surprise, Fry answered, "ROMO!" 


	4. Secret Confessions and Misconceptions

Chapter Four – Secret Confessions and Misconceptions  
  
Fry left a confused Leela sitting at the kitchen table, wondering what it was that had just happened. Thankfully, Amy arrived shortly after Fry left the room, distracting Leela from his strange behavior.  
  
Amy walked in the room to find Bender standing among a pile of beer bottles and gave him a strange look as she poured herself a cup of coffee.  
  
"What happened to you?" she asked Bender, on the verge of laughing.  
  
"Fry went postal on my ass, that's what happened."  
  
Amy sat down next to Leela, laughing, "Fry go postal? That's not possible. He couldn't hurt a fly, even if he put all his brains into it. Actually, come to think of it...that's not much brain power is it?"  
  
Leela sat quietly next to Amy with her arms crossed on the table in front of her, gazing again into her own coffee cup. It had grown cold and she knew that she wouldn't be drinking it, but started stirring the dark liquid absent-mindedly. Her hands needed something to do.  
  
"Maybe not," Bender said, checking each of the bottles for any last drop of alcohol, "but jealousy can turn even the biggest idiot into a madman."  
  
"Jealousy?" Amy had a momentary look of confusion and then a sense of comprehension quickly came over her, "I thought Fry was okay with you dating Rodney. You guys seemed fine a few days ago, what happened?"  
  
Without saying a word, Leela held up her hand, showing Amy the diamond on her finger. The young girl gasped, standing up and nearly knocking over the chair to get a better look at the ring. Leela kept looking down at the table, a slight blush coming over. She couldn't help but let loose a little smile though at the reaction the ring brought from Amy.  
  
"He...he proposed to you?!?" Amy asked in shock.  
  
Leela glared at her, "Well don't act so surprised. We've been together for six months now. Besides, you little slut, at least I didn't have to knock up my boyfriend to get him to propose to me."  
  
Amy looked at Leela in stoned silence.  
  
"Ooooohhhh....she got you!" Bender taunted.  
  
Silenced, Amy sat back down next to Leela for a moment. She then held out her own hand to show a stone not even half the size of Leela's and certainly not a diamond. Her smile was evil.  
  
"It may not be a diamond," she said evily, "but at least I didn't have to sleep with a blow hard to meet my fiancee."  
  
"Nope, I already called that one this morning, Amy" Bender said as he put the beer bottles in the trash.  
  
"Damn!" Amy turned and pouted, cursing under her breath in Chinese.  
  
Leela looked at them both in shock. It was disheartening how much they loved to berate her about her one night stand with Zapp Brannigan.  
  
"From the looks of Bender, I'm guessing Fry didn't take it well," Amy said, stirring sugar into her mug.  
  
"Actually," Leela said finally, "I haven't really talked to him about it yet."  
  
"You really should, Leela. I mean, you owe at least that to him. He's liked you a really long time and he was relly hurt when you started dating Rodney out of the blue like that. Imagine how he feels now, when you haven't even talked to him about it. Isn't he supposed to be your best friend?" Amy took a sip of her coffee and then started to add more sugar.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Leela said. It's just that I'm not really even sure if Rodney proposed to me or not. He promised himelf to me, but what all does that really mean? she asked herself.  
  
She stood up and started walking to the door. Glancing at her wrist communicator, she noted that it was 8:25. Time to begin the day and time to talk to Fry.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------- --- ----- Fry sat on a set of crates at the loading dock. He had left the Planet Express kitchen over 45 minutes ago and hadn't even lifted a single crate. Leela would probably be angry and start to yell at him again, but he didn't really care. He needed time to think right now.  
  
Leela watched him from the entry to the loading dock. He didn't see her or hear her enter, but she watched his every move. Or, rather, lack of movement. A cold feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach and she reasoned with herself that it wasn't the time. He was hurt right now and upset and trying to explain things to him now would only make things worse. What he needed was a friend and that's what she was determined to give him. If he wanted to talk about it, then she would, but not until he was ready. She shook her head. It was getting hard for even her to buy her own bull anymore.  
  
She walked down the ramp to the crate beside Fry.  
  
"Is this crate taken?" she asked, grinning at her friend.  
  
He returned the smile and patted the crate, motioning for her to sit down. She was the last person that he wanted to see right now, but he concealed his emotions so as not to upset Leela.  
  
She took the seat beside Fry and suddenly realized that she had nothing to say. There was an awkward moment between them that she knew shouldn't have been there. She knew that he still had feelings for her and Amy had just reaffirmed that information, but that had never stopped her from shooting down his aspirations at a relationship before. Now, sitting with him in the silence, she didn't even know how to talk to her best friend.  
  
"Congratulations," Fry finally said quietly.  
  
"Thanks," Leela said, trying her best to sound upbeat. She looked around the loading dock, hoping to find something that could inspire some conversation between the two of them. She found nothing. She was loosing what little courage she had quickly, so she decided to just spit something out and hoped it came out making sense.  
  
"Fry....I.." she stammered, "I..." She looked at his face, so innocent. She could see the sadness in his eyes that he was so desperately trying to hide. "Fry...I...I wanted to thank you. For everything." A smile spread across Fry's face and Leela returned it, exhaling a sigh of relief.  
  
Getting off his crate, Fry stood in front of her. Looking into her eye, Fry knew that he had lost his chance at this beautiful creature. She was going to marry someone who obviously made her happier than he ever could...and whom she loved more than she could ever love him. He smiled a gentle smile and decided at that moment that he would have to let go of the past three years of his life. Leela was out of his grasp, had been from the day he met her. He had only been too stupid see it.  
  
I loved you from the day I met you, Leela, he told her mentally, there isn't a thing in this world that I wouldn't do for you and I wish that you could see that. I wish that when you look at me, you could see in me what I see in you. I know you're marrying Rodney, but to me this changes nothing. I know that I won't be able to follow you around anymore or pester you for dates, but Leela, I will always love you. Until the day I die, I will love you.  
  
"I'm happy for you, Leela, and...I...uh...I'll always be here...if you know, you need someone...or something..." Fry said, trying desperately to keep his voice steady. He leaned in to hug Leela, and she surprisingly relaxed in his arms.  
  
She feels so good in my arms. If only I could hold her like this forever. Just like this, he thought. He held her tight for a few moments and then released, backing away and flashing her a smile.  
  
"I'm..uh...I'm gonna start...er...finish loading the ship. Send Bender out when ya see him, will you? I'll talk to you later.." He turned to leave, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to come until he was safe out of sight from Leela.  
  
Leela watched him turn to go, her mind urging her to do something. She knew she couldn't tell him that it wasn't an engagement ring. He'd take it that she wanted him and he'd come on stronger than ever. But seeing him walk away the way he did, without a wink or a funny gesture, seeing him like that filled her with a fear that she couldn't explain. For some reason, she felt like she was loosing her best friend. 


	5. A Not so well kept Secret

Chapter Five – A Not-so-well-kept Secret  
  
Walking away, Fry had a heavy feeling in his chest. He knew that turning away from her now meant that he would be turning away from all the efforts that he had made to win Leela over. But things were different now. She wasn't just dating Rodney anymore, she was going to marry him. This was it, Leela had found "the one" and it wasn't him. It was all over now.  
  
Leela watched him walk away, the heaviness in her chest growing more and more burdensome by the moment. She knew that she had to do something. She couldn't just let him walk away like that and she knew it. Maybe not talking to him about it had been a mistake after all. And yet, she still couldn't bring herself to do anything about it. Sighing, she got off her crate and walked back into the Planet Express conference room.  
  
Fry turned and watched Leela leave. He had no intention of working and walked onto the ship. Sitting down in the captain's chair, he propped his feet up on the control panel. He closed his eyes and leaned his back against the chair. A single hot tear ran down his cheek.  
  
"Where did I go wrong?" he asked himself aloud. There was no answer in the silent delivery ship, only the slight echo of his own voice.  
  
For some reason that he couldn't fully explain, he felt empty now, like a part of himself had been lost with Leela. His mind sorted through the memories of the past three years. Everything he had ever done since he stepped out of that cryogenics lab had been focused around her presence. All attempts at relationships had failed because every girl he saw he compared to the perfection that was Toranga Leela. At one time he had thought that he and Leela were soul mates and had spent many nights between dreams and consciousness thinking about the possibility. Now, sitting in this lonely delivery ship, he began to wonder if the soul mate phenomenon could be one-sided.  
  
Fry had known very early on that there would come a time in the relationship when it would be sink or swim. Only, he thought that he would be the one swimming, not Rodney. The only thing left now was to make the best out of what he saw as a bad situation. Getting up from the captain's chair, he started to make the long walk back to the Planet Express conference room where he knew Leela would be surrounded by smiles and congratulations. As much as it killed him to do it, he was determined to be the one right by her side through the entire thing. Even if he couldn't be the man in her life, he could still be a part of it and that was something. Leela entered the conference room and a sea of questions and congratulations. Apparently, Amy had done her self-appointed job of company gossip girl. Ushered to the table by Bender and Zoidberg, Leela couldn't help but get caught up in all the excitement and a smile spread across her face. Finally, she sat down at the conference table with the rest to answer the slue of questions that was coming her way.  
  
"I recommend putting dat ring on de company's insurance policy, Leela," Hermes offered straight off.  
  
"Uh...sure, Hermes, I'll be sure and consider that..."  
  
Questions started flying at her from all directions again until Zoidberg finally slammed his claws down on the table, silencing the room.  
  
"Zoidberg wants to know everything. So start already."  
  
Everyone watched Leela in curiosity and anticipation. It reminded her of the looks on the girls faces at the slumber parties when one teen informed the others on the "quality" of a guy, the kind of slumber party that she was never invited to. Still, she smiled. She enjoyed being the center of attention like this and soaked it all up.  
  
"Well," she began, "Rodney was signed to leave this morning, so he took me to Elzar's last night. There was music and the food was wonderful and oh, it was just so romantic..."  
  
"The ring, girl, tell us about the ring!" Hermes interjected.  
  
"Huh? Oh, right," Leela continued as she looked at the rock on her hand, turning it on her finger, "he gave me this ring last night. It was a strange proposal, if it was even that." The strange look on her co-worker's faces told her that she had just blurted out what she had meant to keep secret.  
  
Amy looked at her quizzically, angered already that her own engagement had been overshadowed by the heavenly diamond sitting on Leela's finger.  
  
"What do you mean, 'if it was even that'?" Amy asked.  
  
Leela became noticeably nervous before she decided to blurt the entire story out.  
  
"Well, he said that he gave me this ring as a promise that he would never love anyone but me and that I was to wear it as a promise to him that if I should find happiness in another man before he returned that I would take that chance. He said that if I was still wearing the ring when he got back in two years, he would know that I was sure and that he would marry me." She looked around the room expectantly, hoping for a positive outcome from her outburst, but she was only met with confused looks. That is, until Zoidberg broke the silence.  
  
"That is so romantic!" he said excitedly as he got out his chair and walked to Leela, throwing his arms around her, "Just like the love out of a fairy tale!"  
  
Leela laughed as Zoidberg embraced her. Normally, she would have pushed the detestable lobster away, but at the moment he seemed to be the only one who was genuinely happy for her.  
  
"Pssh, fairy tales, sounds like a cop out to me," Bender said, taking a long drag on his cigar.  
  
"No! It's romantic!" Zoidberg replied, walking back to his seat.  
  
"It is not romantic, you fool! This nice girl is going to marry my blundering idiot of an uncle! Even you can do better, Leela! This wedding will not take place!" the professor exclaimed, standing up beside the table.  
  
"Calm down, mon," Hermes said, pulling the old man back into his seat, "she's not marrying that idiot Fry, she's marrying Rodney."  
  
"Ro – wha?" The professor looked confused and Hermes made the mistake of trying to explain the situation to him.  
  
"Rodney Jones, the officer in Zapp Brannigan's army."  
  
A look of mixed surprise, shock and horror came over the professor's face, "Leela, you're marrying Zapp Brannigan? How could you stoop so low? Really, Leela, why don't you marry that nice boy Rodney? He seems to have taken a real liking to you. Sometimes I think you youngsters wouldn't know love even if it hit you in the face."  
  
Hermes started to correct him, but Leela interrupted the bureaucrat. It was much easier to snip the situation in the butt at that point.  
  
"I'll do that Professor," she said, smiling.  
  
"Ok then, now that that's settled, where is Fry? We need to get started on our deliveries," the professor said.  
  
"He's out loading the ship right..." Leela stopped herself in mid-sentence, realizing how stupid she sounded. Fry...working. It just didn't happen. She started again, "He's in the ship, Professor, probably sleeping."  
  
The meeting continued and the Professor briefed them on the day's deliveries. No one had seen Fry enter the room and no one saw him standing in the shadows by the door. But he had heard all he needed to hear and a smile started across his face. 


	6. Misplaced Affections

_Author's Note: I'd like to thank Plunderer01 and Venus32 for their generous reviews. Enjoy the fan fic, Chapter 7 is coming soon._  
  
Chapter Six – Misplaced Affections  
  
Leela reclined on her bed, a calendar marked with Rodney's return date in her hands. He had been gone a mere three months and his absence was truly becoming torture. The daytime hours weren't any hugs ordeal. They were filled with the daily tasks needed to keep Planet Express up and running and the deliveries usually commanded all of her attention. She had no time to think of her personal life or Rodney.  
  
It was the lonely nights like this that had become the problem. It hadn't been so bad in the beginning. Sure, she had missed Rodney terribly, but she had been able to reason with herself that she would adjust to his absence and that she would eventually manage on the sole knowledge that she would see him soon enough. After all, every day gone brought him one day closer to home. But it was difficult to keep that frame of mind at the end of the day. Sitting in an empty apartment with the lonely night stretching in front of her, it was easy to feel depressed and alone.  
  
She glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was 2:20 AM. Glancing at the phone, she wondered if Fry was still awake.  
  
----------------------------------------------------  
  
Fry lay in his bed, looking up at the empty ceiling. It had been difficult, but he had decided to take the hands-off method with Leela. His previous persistence had seemed to drive her away and, just when he had thought he had lost it all, he accidentally found out that he had a second chance. Right then, he had vowed not to screw it up. A bit of advice from his brother Yancy had come to mind, "Let them come to you, bro." It was just about the only advice he had ever gotten from his brother and now he decided to put it to use. He would let Leela come to him.  
  
But now, lying on his bed, he began to wonder if he had made the right choice. He had spent the past three months trying to unobtrusively "be there" for Leela during Rodney's absence. Unfortunately, she was still resistant to his friendly attempts at consolation. The only thing he had gotten from his brother's advice was three months of coming home and sitting on his bed, waiting for the phone to ring. It never did.  
  
Contemplation of his own pathetic existence was slowly pulling him to sleep when a shrill ring jerked him back to consciousness. He jumped and it took him a moment to realize that it was the telephone. Trying to mask his excitement in feigned exhaustion, he answered the phone.  
  
"Hello?" he said groggily.  
  
There was silence on the line and for a moment he wondered if it was Bender making the call from some telephone booth with the goal of screwing with his mind and his emotions. He sighed and was about to hang up the phone when he heard her voice.  
  
"Fry?" a small voice on the other line squeaked.  
  
"Leela? Is that you?" he asked, trying to feign surprise as well. His own skill at acting was beginning to amuse him.  
  
Again, there was silence.  
  
"Leela, is there something wrong?"  
  
"No...there's nothing wrong. I..uh...did I wake you Fry?"  
  
Fry decided to be honest and try not to sound extremely pathetic, "Not really. I couldn't sleep anyway."  
  
"Oh."  
  
It was a risk and he knew it, but he decided to take the chance, "Leela, you sound like you could use a friend right about now. You wanna go get some coffee or something and talk?"  
  
There was silence again and he was afraid that she was going to turn him down or worse that she had already hung up. He smiled at the outcome, though.  
  
"Sure, Fry, I'd like that."  
  
He smiled at his own ability to arrange this midnight rendezvous.  
  
-------------------------------  
  
She sat across from him in the little all night diner. Her head was bent down, her eye gazing at her own reflection in the steaming coffee before her. He glanced at her every once in a while, his eyes full of compassion. Once or twice she thought that she had spotted a slight smile forming on his lips. He pushed the last remaining bits of pie around on his plate. They had arrived a good hour earlier but, aside from a smiled greeting and a quick hug, neither of them had said more than a few words.  
  
Leela looked up at him through her bangs. She felt a bit guilty for agreeing to come out this late. _He looks so tired, she thought to herself, and yet he's here with me at 3:00 in the morning eating in a cheap little diner. He's even paying._ But that was Fry's way with her. It always had been, she had always just taken his presence for granted. And tonight she would do it again.  
  
Standing, she started to leave as Fry left the money for the check. They stood outside the diner for a few minutes, looking at the city lights.  
  
"It's so beautiful out here at night," Fry said quietly.  
  
Leela nodded silently, looking out at the New New York skyline. It really did have a kind of wild beauty about it, the kind that could make a person do anything. She smiled slightly to herself, knowing that later she would blame this night and her irrationality on the untamed beauty of that skyline. She touched Fry's hand lightly, letting her fingers slip between his. No words were exchanged; a simple smile from Leela told Fry all he needed to know.  
  
They walked back to her apartment building and through the halls to Leela's room. The walk back had been a silent one, both focusing on the thoughts racing through their heads. They entered the room and Leela excused herself as she readied herself for bed. The clock read 3:35 AM.  
  
Fry hung his jacket on the back of her desk chair, a fantasy of three months ago coming back to him briefly. This is how it was supposed to be that night, he thought to himself. But the fantasy brought with it the memory that Leela was promised to Rodney. He let is slide out of his mind. It's not like she's really engaged anyway, he reasoned with himself.  
  
He heard a door open behind him and saw Leela standing there in tiny pajama shorts and a tank top that clung to all the right places. Her long hair fell in waves about her shoulders and her smile told Fry just exactly what she had planned for the night. He returned the smile as he found himself slightly rising to the occasion. For the second time in their relationship, Fry would wake up finding Leela in his arms.  
  
She walked over to him. Her hips swayed gently, giving her upper body a graceful bounce. He smiled and took her in his arms. Her hands traced the outline of his jaw and lightly caressed his neck. Their faces were close enough now that he could smell the soft scent of her shampoo and feel the warmth of her breath on his neck. His heart raced as he leaned into a kiss.  
  
In a frenzy of kisses and soft caresses, they made their way to the bed. Looking down at her, he knew this would be a night he wouldn't soon forget. His hands clasped hers as he leaned into another kiss. He stopped short at the feel of the cool metal on Leela's hand. The ring was a painful but constant reminder of her misplaced affections for him. He knew then that, though it wasn't a night he would soon forget, it would be a night that he would regret in the morning and one that would surely put him out of Leela's life forever. He knew that he couldn't let that happen.  
  
He leaned closer to her still, letting his lips graze hers. His mouth against hers, he told her, "Let me hold you Leela. That's all I want, to hold you as you fall asleep in my arms."  
  
To his relief, she didn't protest and as he lay by her, she cuddled into his chest. Her breathing was soon even. Fry looked down at the sleeping angel. He lightly pushed a strand of her hair out of her face. Looking at the clock, it was 4:30. He kissed her forehead and slid his arm from under her head. He covered her with a nearby blanket and stood to look at her for a moment before he turned to leave.  
  
As he opened the door, he turned off the light and whispered into the darkness, "I love you, Leela." At 4:45, Fry was making the walk down the dark New New York Streets to his own home in Bender's closet. Looking up at the skyline, he smiled to himself. It truly was a beautiful night. 


	7. Uncertain Futures and Welcome Distractio...

Author's Note: Two chapters in one day...I'm on a roll here! LOL. Anyway, this chapter is probably the shortest in the fic, but I had to get it out before I lost the idea. Let me know what you think.  
  
Chapter 7 – Uncertain Futures and Welcome Distractions  
  
The shrill beeping of the alarm clock filled the quiet room. Leela groaned and turned over in bed. Suddenly, her eye popped open and she sat up in a panic. Looking around the room, she saw no sign of Fry. It was just a dream, she thought, exhaling a sigh of relief. She hadn't made a complete fool of herself after all.  
  
She threw the blanket back and climbed out of bed. Exhausted, she went to the bathroom to shower and dress. That was when she saw it. Fry's red jacket hung over the back of her desk chair. Her face contorted in horror. It hadn't been a dream at all.  
  
She grabbed the jacket in her hand and walked back over to the bed, letting herself collapse on it. What was Fry going to think of her? She was an engaged woman, after all! Or was she? The proposal situation still troubled her, but she was more concerned at the moment with the present drama. How was she going to look Fry in the eye again after last night?  
  
She sighed as she stood up and let the jacket drop to the floor. There was no point in worrying about it now. She was going to be late for work if she didn't hurry. Dragging her tired body into the shower, she started to get ready.  
  
----------------------  
  
Fry and Bender were sitting in their usual position on the couch when Leela walked in that morning. Fry was wearing only his white shirt and jeans. His jacket still lay on the floor of her apartment.  
  
"Hey, Leela," Fry said from the couch, a big smile on his face.  
  
She managed a stiff smile and a casual "Hey Fry," as she hurriedly made her way to the Planet Express kitchen.  
  
"What's eating her?" Bender asked, his attention on the television.  
  
Fry shrugged, "Hard night, I guess."  
  
Minutes later, everyone was crowded around the conference table. The professor had yet to join the crew at the table, so Hermes started without him. Leela avoided looking at Fry even though she could feel his eyes on her throughout the entire meeting. Though she tried to focus, she found it hard to concentrate on Hermes' financial complaint of the day.  
  
"Der is someone in dis office consuming more than der own fair share of coffee. If dis keeps up, we're going to have to raise the coffee tax. Any extra amounts will be taken out of your paychecks," Hermes announced.  
  
His speech was met with groans and complaints all the way around.  
  
"Good news, everyone," the Professor said as he entered the room, "We have a call from DOOP. Brannigan himself is on the line. He wants to negotiate a delivery of food products to the main DOOP headquarters. I'm going to put him on the main screen. Leela, be nice."  
  
Leela's face widened in shock and then settled into a look of severe discontent. She gave a giggling Amy a menacing glare.  
  
After a few moments, a familiar face came on the screen. Leela's eye widened and she broke into a large grin, "Rodney!" she exclaimed in a surprised voice.  
  
The professor had a confused look on his face, "You're not Zapp Brannigan!" he yelled accusingly.  
  
The smiling face of Sergeant Rodney Jones filled the screen, "Leela? Oh, it's so good to see your beautiful face again. You don't know how much I've missed you. How are you getting along?"  
  
"It's been hard," Leela confessed, "I've missed you so much..."  
  
"Get a room you two. All this emotion is making me sick," Bender interjected. Leela glared at the robot for a moment and the laughed casually.  
  
"Hello, Bender. It's nice to see your humor chip is still active," Rodney said, laughing.  
  
Casual conversation ensued for a few moments between Rodney and the crew before the professor's incessant interruptions could no longer be ignored.  
  
"Mutiny!" the professor yelled again, "You mutinous little bastard! I'll be speaking to the head of DOOP about this matter!"  
  
Rodney laughed, "Calm down, Professor, I asked Captain Brannigan to let me handle the call. He himself knowing how addictive Leela's charms and beauty can be agreed to let me see my love," he said, smiling at Leela.  
  
"Oh, Rodney, you're too sweet," Leela giggled, beginning to blush.  
  
"It' s only the truth. Of course, I knew that merely seeing you could never be enough, so I have arranged to return to the base with Captain Brannigan when he makes the final negotiations on the delivery."  
  
Leela's eye lit up, "You're coming here?! When....for how long?!"  
  
"We will be arriving in little less than two weeks, love. The stay will be a short one, probably only a few days, but I have to see you. I miss you so much," he said, his voice cracking.  
  
Fry sat in dismay as he watched Leela and Rodney's conversation. Rodney was close to tears as was Leela. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Leela, it was just that, after the events of the night before, he suddenly felt used. He would have been a temporary replacement and nothing more. He mentally scolded himself for thinking that anything else could have come from the evening. "I must go now, love, but I'll see you soon. My heart is with you."  
  
"I know. I'll see you soon, Rodney. I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Leela. Forever." A single tear could be seen running down the young man's face. A moment later, his image was gone and Leela looked as if she was about to break down in tears.  
  
"YUCK!" Bender interjected, "Never have I seen such a disgusting display of sappy – Ouch!" A bang on the head by Fry interrupted his speech.  
  
Fry sat and watched Leela for a moment. Everyone did. Her eye was on the blank screen and she looked like she was about to loose it. Never in all his life had Fry ever seen two people so in love. He couldn't even recall a time when his own parents showed that much affection and compassion towards each other. It was then that Fry laid his efforts to rest for the second time since he had learned about the engagement. There was no other man for Leela but Rodney. Even an idiot like him could see that. 


	8. Friendly Advice

_Author's Note: I would like to thank Ravine8BB, Officer 1BDI, and Coot for their reviews. I always appreciate feedback! This chapter's a little long, but it sets the stage for the rest that are soon to come, so enjoy! Chapter 9 is on the way.  
_  
Chapter Eight – Friendly Advice  
  
Leela stood in front of her mirror, adjusting her dress. The entire crew was to meet at Le Club Paris, the newest and ritziest restaurant and club in New New York, tonight to celebrate the negotiations for the largest delivery Planet Express had ever seen: a delivery of food and supplies for the entire fleet of galactic soldiers to DOOP headquarters. In less than a week, Brannigan would be coming to iron out the final details and to set the delivery date.  
  
Leela smiled to herself as she put on her earrings, tiny pearl cascades Rodney had given her. Tonight, she wouldn't be celebrating Brannigan's soon arrival, but that of her love. In less than one week, she would be seeing Rodney for the first time in three months. The ordeal with Fry over the past week had been all but forgotten and was now settled in the deep recesses of her memory. She could now focus all her attention and hopes on Rodney's arrival.  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
Fry sat with Bender and Zoidberg at the table. It was 7:30 and early yet. The meal itself wasn't scheduled to arrive until around eight. The three had already ordered their drinks and Fry sat quietly sipping his champagne while Bender and Zoidberg attempted to make conversation.  
  
Fry scanned the room, his eyes lingering momentarily on the couples dining in the restaurant that night. There was an orchestra playing there tonight and the lights were dimmed, setting the mood for romance. Already, there were couples on the dance floor, holding each other close and moving in time to the music. Though he tried to clear his mind, his thoughts were on Leela.  
  
"Hey, meat bag, I'm talkin' here," Bender's voice interrupted Fry's thoughts.  
  
"Huh...Wha...Oh...Yeah...sorry, Bender. I guess I'm just a bit..." His voice started to trail off as Leela entered the room, "...distracted.." he finished. Bender and Zoidberg turned to follow Fry's line of vision. There, next to the hostess, stood Leela in a stunning evening gown. Fry's jaw dropped.  
  
"My God...she's gorgeous," he half whispered as he got up to greet her. Bender tried to pull him back to his seat as he left, but Fry was determined to be the one to escort Leela to her seat.  
  
"Let him go," Zoidberg said as Fry left the table, "the young fool is in love. Isn't is romantic?"  
  
Bender shook his head, "It's not romantic. He's gonna make an idiot out of himself."  
  
_She looks so beautiful_, Fry thought, _just like an angel_. He smiled at Leela and she returned a warm smile and a gentle hug. Fry offered his arm and Leela accepted and he escorted her to the table.  
  
"You look really nice tonight, Leela," Fry said softly, Leela's hand still locked in his elbow.  
  
"Thanks, Fry. You look pretty good too. You know, you should wear a tux more often. It suits you," she said, smiling.  
  
Fry looked away to his the blush that was creeping into his face. She looked so beautiful in her strapless crimson gown. Her flowing purple hair laid in waves perfectly around her shoulders and her black elbow gloves added the perfect amount of sophistication. Around her neck hung a dainty strand of pearls that matched the cascade earrings she wore. The thought suddenly struck him, _She looks like an officer's wife_, and he realized how awkward she must look on the arm of a plain-faced delivery boy. Still, he proudly escorted her to the table and seated her next to him.  
  
Shortly after, Hermes and Amy, who informed them that the professor would be joining them later, joined them. To keep his mind and eyes off Leela, he tried to focus on Amy and her outfit for the evening, a light blue halter dress that seemed to show off everything and cling to just the right places. Ironically, despite Amy's extreme wealth, she didn't seem to have the sophistication and class of Leela. Though she had the curves of a woman, when Fry looked at Amy, he saw the playful immaturity and awkwardness of a girl.  
  
Within twenty minutes, the professor had joined them and Hermes called over a waiter who began to take the order for their dinner. Meanwhile, the professor began to brief everyone as to his tardiness.  
  
"As you all know, DOOP has arranged for a mass delivery of supplies to their headquarters. What you didn't know is that you all aren't getting paid for it!"  
  
Everyone, especially Hermes, looked at the professor in a mix of shock and horror.  
  
"Professor, you mean we're going to all that work for nothing?!?" Leela asked, not even bothering to mask the shock and building frustration in her voice.  
  
The professor laughed, "Oh my no, I'm getting paid, you're just not getting any of it."  
  
"Explain yourself, mon!" Hermes exclaimed, his voice rising.  
  
"You see, I have been experimenting with a method of total organ transplantation for the past six years. I knew that if I could get adequate funding, I would have uncovered a method so easy even an incompetent like Dr. Zoidberg here couldn't screw it up!"  
  
"Hey, I'm a very good doctor," Zoidberg said, defensively," 25% of my patients go on to lead almost semi-perfectly normal lives!"  
  
Hermes rolled his eyes, "You skills are about as realistic as your degree, mon!" he said, glaring at the lobster.  
  
"Quiet down you two and let me finish," the professor interjected, "Now, as I said before, I have uncovered a remarkable discovery that will allow an entire organ system to be transplanted from one body to another without disassembling the system. It would be so easy that anyone could do it."  
  
He sat there, looking proud of himself and his discovery, but was met with only confused looks from his crew.  
  
"What does that have to do with the volunteer crap you've signed us up for, old man?" Bender finally asked, taking a puff of his cigar.  
  
"Wha? Oh, right. In exchange for the free delivery of supplies, DOOP is going to fund my research and provide their own soldiers for me to experiment on! Being that Brannigan's off on another of his useless conquests, there's bound to be plenty of dead bodies to choose from," the professor said, looking very satisfied with himself.  
  
Leela cringed at the thought, "That's...er...great, Professor..."  
  
"Yes it is, Professor, but I'm afraid Planet Express doesn't have de resources to be doing volunteer work. It's simply out of de question," Hermes said.  
  
"No, it's not even in the question! I've already made the agreement with DOOP and Brannigan is coming to finalize the details next week. So there, you penny pinching bureaucrat!" the professor spat.  
  
Hermes scowled, "You can't just jump in and made quick decisions for de company like dat, Professor. Planet Express is well on its way to becoming Bankrupt Express as it is."  
  
Thee Professor looked a bit hurt and Leela suddenly found herself feeling sorry for the old man.  
  
"Hermes," she interjected," maybe this is the pick up that Planet Express needs. After all, once we become DOOP's official delivery service, think of all the orders we'll be getting. Think what that could mean for business..."  
  
"She's right, you know," Zoidberg added quietly, still recovering from the degradation of his medical skills and degree.  
  
Hermes sighed, "I suppose you've got a point der. Okay, Professor, we'll do de volunteer job, but if Planet Express folds, I'll be expecting a sparkling recommendation."  
  
The food began to arrive and the Professor smiled at Leela. He had been watching her all night long and had noticed Fry watching her as well. He usually made it a point not to meddle in familial or employee affairs, but he knew something had to be done about his idiot relation before he made a complete fool of himself.  
  
After the meal was finished, Amy asked Fry to dance after she noticed how uncomfortable Leela was becoming. Grudgingly, he accepted her invitation.  
  
Once out on the dance floor, Fry held Amy close, his face buried in her neck. He had never danced with Leela like this, but holding Amy, he knew that he could at least pretend and for the moment, that was good enough for him. He nuzzled his face in her neck. "That tickles, Fry," Amy said, giggling.  
  
"Oh, sorry," he said pulling away slightly and putting a small but noticeable distance between them. No, he couldn't pretend that she was Leela. She could never be the woman that he loved. Not that it really mattered since she was engaged to Kipf now. Fry tried to zone out as he whisked Amy around the dance floor and shot a smile in Leela's direction twice. At least he could look like he was having fun, if even for her sake.  
  
Leela watched them as they danced, a look of torn heartbreak on her face. She didn't know why seeing him holding Amy like that bothered her, but it did, terribly. She had been having a wonderful evening, but seeing her two friends like that reminded her of she and Fry's night together all over again. It had felt good to be in his arms and she had to keep telling herself that it wasn't where she belonged. She loved Rodney and soon he would be here and she could be in his arms again. Then, none of this would matter. It never mattered when she was with Rodney.  
  
The Professor, noticing Leela's apparent distress, leaned over and began to whisper to her, "Leela, I don't usually meddle in my employee's personal affairs, but I've known you for a while now and I can tell you that you're making a mistake."  
  
Leela looked at him, confused.  
  
The professor jerked his head in the general direction of Fry and Amy, "Don't think I haven't noticed the way Fry has been eyeing you this evening and if I'm not mistaken, there was a bit of reverse eyeing, too."  
  
Leela blushed slightly, "I don't know what you're talking about, Professor."  
  
"I may be old, but I'm not stupid. If you ever want any chance of being truly happy with Rodney, do yourself a favor and forget about Fry."  
  
"Professor, I don't want to hurt him and I don't want to forget about him! He's my friend and nothing more and..." she hesitated, looking out at him holding Amy and nuzzling her, "He realizes that," she said, taking a sip of champagne.  
  
"Tell yourself what you want, Leela, but Fry will be fine and the sooner you let go, the sooner he will too. Trust me on this one."  
  
Leela sat looking at her empty plate, tears burning in her eye. She knew that the Professor was right. If she ever wanted a future with Rodney, she had to let go of her past with Fry. But now, a new question was forming in her head, was she really holding on for Fry's sake...or for her own? 


	9. Lovely Lies

Author's Note: I want to thank Gennie Kag's and Sess's Child, Penname wa Silver B, and Jaded Angel for their reviews. As always, I appreciate encouragement and feedback. Chapter 10 is on its way!  
  
Chapter Nine – Rodney's Arrival  
  
Fry sat in silence in the Planet Express kitchen as he ate his breakfast. The other's moved around him, carrying on with their lives. But for one of the few times in his life, Fry was in deep thought. Leela's had sported a seemingly perpetual smile since the day Rodney had said that he would be arriving. It hadn't gone unnoticed by Fry. Of course, neither had the fact that she had been almost outright avoiding him since the night at the restaurant.  
  
To the naked eye, it would have seemed that Leela had only attempted to use their friendship as an excuse for a one-night-stand to curb her longing for Rodney. Fry shook his head. Leela had her tendencies to be downright cruel to him, but she wasn't that kind of person, and there was something about the situation that didn't sit well with him. She loved Rodney, he was sure of that, but he was still bothered by her reaction to a few things in the past three months, namely the night she invited him home to her apartment. She had had definite plans that evening and now he was left wondering a few things and feeling extremely used.  
  
And that was just the start of things. There was something about the whole engagement ordeal that was unsettling to him as well. Rodney was a nice guy and Fry liked him well enough. Leela was unabashedly crazy over him and he treated her like a princess. But there was still something about the arrangement that bothered Fry. Why was Rodney so unsure that Leela didn't return his love? He made a mental note to ask Rodney about it when he arrived, but knew he never would.  
  
Voices could he heard in the lobby and when Fry looked around the kitchen and suddenly realized that he was alone and the sound of a door opening."  
  
"Rodney!" Leela's voice drifted in from the lobby and Fry cringed. He knew that he should be out there with her, supporting her like any best friend would, but it was exceedingly hard these days. Still, though he had to force himself, he got up from the table and walked into the lobby.  
  
"Fry!" Rodney exclaimed as Fry entered the room. Fry smiled and shook Rodney's hand when he offered it. He was startled when Rodney drew him into a tight bear hug. Rodney liked everyone and everyone liked him. The thought suddenly nauseated Fry.  
  
He was the same as Fry had remembered, around six-foot with jet-black hair and icy blue eyes and as much muscle as charm. Seeing the way his charm hypnotized everyone, especially Leela, Fry suddenly realized what kind of competition he was up against.  
  
"How've you been, Fry? Taking care of my princess for me, eh?"  
  
Fry managed a weak smile and failed, "Leela doesn't need taking care of," he said in a flat tone.  
  
Rodney laughed nervously and walked back over to Leela, putting his arm around her waist.  
  
Fry's face darkened and he sat himself on the couch, propping his feet on the table. He was surprised no one said a word to him.  
  
"Well, if no one minds," Leela heard Rodney's charismatic voice say, "I intend to steal this beautiful goddess for the remainder of the day."  
  
She looked up at Rodney and smiled and he kissed her lips tenderly. There was a little voice in the back of her head telling her to pull away, to not kiss him in front of Fry. She ignored it, knowing that she would probably regret it later.  
  
Fry rolled his eyes and flipped on the television and tried to drown out the rest of the conversation. He was through being supportive. That had just been sickening. First Leela tries to make love to me, then she ignores me and now she rubs the fact that she will never be mine in my face.  
  
Fry ignored the rest of the conversation and sat on the couch, watching a blank television screen. Leela's eye never left him. She wanted to be mad at him, so badly she wanted to hate him right then. He was being an ass and a jerk. But her hand was in Rodney's and she knew that she had no one to blame for the tensions but herself.  
  
"Come on, my sweet," Rodney said, kissing Leela's forehead, "I'm taking you to Elzar's for lunch."  
  
Leela shot him a large smile and her spirits lifted. But as she left the room, her hand in Rodney's, she caught a look at Fry's face and for the first time saw the pain under the anger. A part of her wanted to stay, but the professor's advice resounded in her mind. Do yourself a favor and forget about him, Leela, she told herself as she turned away and headed out the door behind Rodney.  
  
"Leela?"  
  
She heard Rodney's voice breaking through her thoughts and looked up into his face, full of concern. She remembered Fry having that look on his face when she woke up in the hospital after the bee had stung her. Mentally she kicked herself for thinking of him at that moment. It was the first time she had seen Rodney in three months and here she was thinking about Fry.  
  
"Leela?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Leela, are you okay? You haven't even touched your food...Is something wrong?"  
  
"Oh...um...no...nothing's wrong. I, uh, I just missed you so much and I'm...I'm just so happy to see you," she said, smiling.  
  
"Really," he said, laughing and pulling her next to him in the booth, "Could have surprised me, you haven't said nearly ten words to me since we left Planet Express."  
  
She closed her eye and tried to steady her voice as she started to speak, "It's just that...I missed you so much and seeing you is so wonderful and...and I just can't believe that you're here."  
  
He smiled at her warmly and she realized that she was crying when he bent his head down and started to kiss the tears from her cheeks.  
  
"I love you so much Leela," he said, caressing her face with his hand, "You don't know how much I've missed you and...to be honest with you, my heart soared when I saw that you're still wearing my ring." He kissed her softly on her head as she subconsciously touched the ring on her finger.  
  
She smiled weakly and laid her head on his chest. Though she fought it, her mind turned to Fry and the look of hurt and anger in his eyes. His touch had been so soft and so gentle that night and...and he hadn't taken advantage of her. He had left. She couldn't understand why suddenly, after years of turning him down, insulting him and incessantly embarrassing him he still tried to hold on. But now, she knew that if she hadn't hurt him before she had hurt him now. Her tears had slowly turned into silent sobs.  
  
Rodney held her close to him, burying his face in her hair, "What is it, love? There's something wrong, please tell me."  
  
She grabbed onto his arms and held him close to her, "I...I just don't want you to leave again," she said between sobs.  
  
"I don't want to leave you, Leela, you don't know how much it killed me to come down here today. It wasn't that I didn't want to see you, but it was hard enough to leave you the first time. Leaving you this time might just kill me," he said, chuckling softly in an attempt to make Leela smile, but she saw the tears brimming in his eyes and instantly felt guilty for lying to him. 


	10. Farewell to Love

_Author's Note: I would like to thank Jaded Angel, Penname wa Silver B, Mia 26, Denise Simpson, and Galaxia–hime for their reviews! Sorry it took so long to update this time, I had a horrid case of writer's block. Chapter 11 is coming shortly. Enjoy the fic!_  
  
Chapter Ten – Farewell to Love  
  
Fry lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling as the moon poured into his bedroom. He lifted himself up onto his elbows, unable to sleep, and glanced at the clock. It was 3:30 AM. Fry found himself unconsciously looking over at the phone. Mentally, he scolded himself. He sighed and let himself fall back against the bed, covering his face with his hands.  
  
"I can't keep doing this..." he said quietly to himself, "damn that Rodney..."  
  
He lay there in bed for a moment more before he finally swung his legs over the side and sat up. Grumbling, he got out of bed and dressed. He knew that sleep was not going to find him tonight.  
  
Leela sat on her bed, relaxing against Rodney's chest. His fingers were intertwined in hers and he spoke to her in sweet tones and for a moment she found herself at peace. This was the way it was supposed to be. She closed her eyes and let herself be hypnotized by the steady sound of his heartbeat.  
  
Rodney began to stroke her hair gently. She had let it down earlier and it hung in waves around her shoulders. He had missed her so much and sitting here with her felt so right. He leaned down and gently brushed her hair from her shoulders, kissing the milky skin gently. Again, he kissed her and then on her neck.  
  
When she turned to look at him, Leela recognized a look of longing and love. She closed her eye and gently kissed his lips. She had missed and longed for the taste of his kiss for so long. For once, sitting here with him, everything made sense.  
  
Rodney took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. His hands traveled slowly across her skin as he slid her shirt off, revealing a lacy white bra. Smiling, he kissed her again.  
  
Leela looked at him. She had known this moment was going to come and though she had looked forward to it for three months, she suddenly found herself hesitating. She tensed involuntarily as Rodney leaned down to kiss her chest. He noticed and pulled away.  
  
"Something wrong, Leela?" he asked, a look of concern on his face.  
  
She looked over at her nightstand where her picture of Rodney stood. For some reason, her picture of Fry still remained there, next to his. For a moment, memories of Fry came gushing back and his presence flooded her senses.  
  
Leela looked into Rodney's eyes and saw nothing but love and adoration. He would forgive her and understand is she didn't want to be with him tonight. She knew that she could simply say that she was tired and he would pull away and lay next to her and hold her in his arms. And he would be none the wiser. But she would know. And she would never forgive herself.  
  
She smiled sweetly, "No," she whispered and pulled him close.  
  
Rodney began to kiss along her neck and when his hand began to softly cover her breast, she forced herself not to pull away. Mentally, she made a promise not to let Fry's memory screw this one up.

---------------------------------------------------------

Fry sat by the window at the diner, sipping at his coffee. He had ordered pie, but it remained untouched.  
  
The young girl at the counter had been his waitress. She was cute with a light brown braid trailing down her back and blue eyes. She had flirted with him when she took his order, but he had disregarded it. Had it been any other time in his life, he would have taken advantage of the situation and scored. But this was a different time and a different place and the memory of holding Leela close was embedded in his heart.  
  
He sighed and slumped back against the booth. _I wonder where she is right now_, he thought to himself. He stopped for a moment, about to mentally scold himself, but he let it pass. It was just something that he was going to have to deal with. Leela would always have his heart, but Rodney would always have hers.  
  
"Can I get you anything else, Mr. Fry?" a sweet voice asked.  
  
Fry looked up his waitress. For the first time, he noticed the big brown eyes looking back at him from behind the fashionable glasses. Her face was young and innocent and her uniform showed off her curves perfectly.  
  
He smiled, "It's Fry," he said.  
  
"Excuse me, sir?"  
  
"You can call me Fry."  
  
The waitress smiled warmly, "Is there anything else I can get you Fry?"  
  
"Company," he said, motioning to the empty booth in front of him.  
  
She smiled and looked around the diner quickly. It was nearly empty and she had some time to spare, so she took the seat across from Fry.  
  
"I'm Rae," she said, reaching her hand across the table to shake his.

-----------------------------------------------------  
  
Leela gazed into the darkness. She could feel the warmth of Rodney's body beside hers, his strong arm laid over her waist and holding her close. His steady breathing told her that he was near sleep. Still, though she was lying next to the man that she loved, she couldn't let herself enjoy the moment. She had longed for him in ways that she couldn't describe while he was gone, but lying there next to him in the dark, she couldn't get her mind off Fry.  
  
Tears started to burn in her eye, but she closed them back, trying to choke them off. She felt Rodney move beside her. He ran his hand along her waist and then brought it up and let it rest on her upper arm. She could feel his face against her bare back and his legs intertwined with hers.  
  
"I love you, Leela" he whispered into the darkness.  
  
She lay quiet for a moment, hesitating to answer. Then a calm seemed to come over her and she relaxed in his arms, "I love you, too, Rodney."  
  
She turned and laid her head against his chest. His arms wrapped around her, one hand laying on her shoulder and the other on her waist. She cuddled into him and he rested his head on hers.  
  
_I'm sorry, Fry_, she thought to herself as she drifted into sleep, _I just can't do this anymore. _


	11. Realizations

_Author's Note: I would like to thank Jaded Angel, Denise Simpson, and Penname wa Silver B for their reviews. Chapter 12 should be coming shortly. Sorry this chapter is so short, but I think you're going to be interested in how it ends. _

Chapter 11 – Realizations

Fry walked out of the diner and stopped on the sidewalk. The sun had already begun to tint the morning sky a soft pink. He smiled as he looked at the rising sun. The city was beautiful at this time of day. Too bad he had never noticed. Hands in pockets, he began to walk back to his apartment.

For the first time in almost a year, his mind wasn't racing with thoughts of Leela and Rodney, though he didn't realize it. His thoughts belonged to the pretty waitress with the freckles and sweet smile. She had been so easy to talk to and so easy to be with. And she was cute. A smirk crossed his face at the thought of the way she called him "Mr. Fry." So cute. But she was no Leela.

Fry stopped dead in his tracks and his shoulders sagged. No, she wasn't any Leela. There could never be another Leela. But then, there had never been a Leela, really. He had never had anything more than her friendship and insults. There could be no Leela, but maybe, just maybe, there could me a Rae. The thought weighed heavy on him, but brought a smile to his face nonetheless.

He continued walking towards his building, a battle in his mind raging between memories of Leela and the new thoughts of Rae. Rae, the young waitress with the light brown braid and eyes as blue and clear as the morning sky itself. She had the beauty and innocence of a child while Leela had poise, self-assurance, and sophistication of a true woman. But Leela also had Rodney.

"Fry," he heard a familiar voice call out.

Fry tensed up and stopped where he was. He knew to whom the voice belonged, did he really want to look? Sighing, he resignedly turned to the street. There, in his hover care sat Rodney flashing his million-dollar smile at Fry.

"Hey Rodney," Fry said quietly. _Speak of the devil_, he thought.

"Why don't you hop in, Fry? I think we need to talk?"

Fry looked at him and cocked an eyebrow, "About?" he asked suspiciously.

Rodney laughed, "Come on, Fry, just a conversation, man to man."

_Man to man?_ Fry thought bitterly,_ then why would I want to talk to you?_

"Actually, Rodney, I'm kinda tired. I'd like to go home," Fry answered coolly, starting to walk in the general direction of his apartment and away from the hover car.

Rodney shook his head as he watched Fry walk away. That was the shell of a broken man. He put the car in drive and continued to drive toward Planet Express. Today was the day that Brannigan would be finalizing the details with the Professor about the delivery. He had been keen on going in hopes of talking to Fry, but Fry obviously had no intentions of attending the meeting.

He looked around as he maneuvered through the busy city streets and thought about last night and Leela. There had been something different about her. She was unusually tense and when she relaxed in his arms, it hadn't been a peaceful relaxation but more of a sense of resignation.

When he had got up that morning to shower, he had seen Fry's picture still sitting beside his on Leela's nightstand and his heart had grown heavy. He knew then what the resignation had meant. Her body had been with him the night before, but her heart had been somewhere else

There were numerous questions running through his mind as he thought back on the past few days. Many things that had confused him suddenly became clear with his morning realization. When she had cried on his shoulder that night at Elzar's, it hadn't been because she had missed him. In some strange way, she had been crying for Fry.

Rodney kicked himself for not seeing it in Fry's face when he had video phoned Leela and when he had come to pick her up at Planet Express. There had been definite pain in his face. He wondered why he hadn't seen it before now.

He parked the hover car in front of Planet Express and got out. He noticed Brannigan's chauffeured limo sitting in front of his own rental and rolled his eyes. Brannigan was one person that Rodney could not stand. He respected him as his superior and as captain, but when it came down to it, he saw Brannigan as the missing link between man and his ape ancestors, evolved enough to look and act like a human, but still too primitive to act like anything other than a hairy mammal.

As he entered Planet Express, Rodney pondered on what to do about he and Leela. He knew that she loved Fry, that much was obvious. But there was love there for himself as well. Rodney didn't question Leela's love for him, but a lump began to form in his throat at the thought that he would be standing in her way to her happiness. It was then that he made up his mind. He would call off the engagement.

Tears began to fill his eyes as he walked through the lobby. He stopped outside the conference room and wiped his eyes gently, hoping that no one especially Leela would notice. His wish was granted.

As the door opened and he started to walk in, he collided with Brannigan's bulk. The captain was in a hurry.

"Out of my way, soldier," he scolded, "Kipf, find that Rodney fellow. We must leave immediately."

Kipf rolled his eyes and sighed, "He's the soldier you just pummeled to the floor, sir," he answered tiredly.

"Oh," Brannigan said cautiously, looking down at Rodney, "Of course. Get up Jones, and meet me back at DOOP Headquarters. We're leaving immediately." Brannigan stormed out of the lobby.

Rodney looked at Kipf momentarily who simply answered, "Fatso offended Lrr of Omicron Persei 8."

Rodney nodded knowingly and rose to his feet, hurrying with Kipf out the door. He would have to talk to Leela later. Right now, the entire universe was at the mercy of Brannigan's dumb ass remarks. Rodney seethed as he left Planet Express.


	12. Questions Without Answers

Author's Note: I would like to thank DOTLP, Denise Simpson, Jaded Angel, Ravine8BB, emeraldLINX, and Penname wa Silver B for their reviews. Chapter 13 will be up soon...

Chapter 12 – Questions Without Answers

Fry walked the streets to his apartment, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders sagging. Exhaustion was suddenly taking its toll on him and he longed for his bed. Seeing Rodney already that morning hadn't helped matters much, either. He had put Leela out of his mind for the moment and then tall, dark and handsome had to show up. After he had driven off, Fry had been tempted to walk back to the diner and get a date with Rae, but had decided against it. He himself, though, was unsure of the reasoning behind that one.

Fry walked into the entrance of Robot Arms apartments and took the elevator to his floor. He walked down the hall to the apartment he shared with Bender and unlocked it, walking in. He stood for a moment in Bender's room. It suddenly hit him what day it was. Monday. There was an important Planet Express meeting this morning at eight that he was supposed to attend. He shrugged his shoulders and walked into his own room. The clock read 9:15. He was already late anyway. What was the point in even showing?

He undressed and showered and the climbed into bed. Walking back to his bed, Fry grabbed a beer and popped the top. He needed one right about now and in a few gulps, it was gone. He threw the can on the floor by his bed and went to reach for another, but thought better of it. Shrugging his shoulders, he climbed into bed.

------------------------------------

Leela walked into Planet Express with a concerned look on her face. When she got up that morning, Rodney had already gone and had failed to leave a note or any indication as to where he was. It was his third night home after three months of absence and then he had left with no indication as to where he was going. It was completely unlike him.

As she entered the Planet Express lobby, she saw Bender sitting on the couch alone. Though, at the time, she didn't pay much attention to it and walked to the conference table to see the meeting well underway. Strangely, though, Zapp wasn't there.

"Professor, what happened to the negotiations?" Leela asked, taking her seat. She noticed that Fry's was empty, but disregarded it for the moment.

Hermes scoffed, "That buffoon doesn't know the meaning of negotiations. Thanks to him, Earth is now at war with Omicron Persei 8."

Leela nodded understandingly. Brannigan had been the one talking; there was no need for explanation. Half the things that came out of his mouth could offend any given person in the universe.

"Did Rodney come by," she asked, reservedly. She didn't want to appear desperate for his presence.

The Professor shook his head, "I don't know, he didn't come to the meeting this morning."

Leela's eye narrowed as she crossed her arms and slumped down into the chair.

Rodney watched out the window as their ship sped away from Earth. He knew that he would have to tell Leela at some time or other, but he just didn't know how. It would have been much better in person, but now he knew that it was next to impossible. When he had set up the engagement, he was fairly sure that he would coming home alive. Now, going into war again Lrr and his army, he was beginning to have his doubts.

"You found the love of a sexy alien captain, didn't you Jones?" Rodney turned to see Brannigan's smug smile of satisfaction, "I had her love once, Jones, it's a hard thing to hold. But then, I probably was a bit much for her."

Brannigan's voice was drowned out by Rodney's thoughts. Even though Zapp was being an ass and bragging in his own way that he had laid Leela before him, he couldn't help but thing how right he was. Leela's love was impossible to hold. That is, unless you were Fry. Then it was given to you on a silver platter.

"I'm calling off the engagement, sir," Rodney spit out, not really knowing the reasoning behind that one.

Brannigan spun around, "You're what?!?!"

"I'm calling off the engagement, Captain Brannigan. My love is in love with another."

Zapp looked at him in astonishment and the smugness, "Ah, yes, I knew it would only be a matter of time before she came crawling back to the Zapper. So sorry about the Jones, but you know how it goes. The best man – "

Rodney turned to Brannigan, a look of annoyance in his eyes, "With all due respect, Captain, it's not you she's in love with and thank God for that." He returned to his view of now empty space and stars as far as the eye could see.

Brannigan was unusually quiet as he walked up next to Rodney. He stood beside him for a few minutes before asking the question that seemed to be burning his brain, "Well who is it, then, Jones?"

"It's Fry, sir."

"Fry...Fry...the delivery boy?!?!"

Rodney chuckled and nodded, "The delivery boy, sir."

Brannigan shook his head, "That I will never understand."

Rodney stared into space, nodding and agreeing inwardly. He would never understand what she saw in him. He had a job that was going nowhere, no ambition, and he was definitely lacking in the intelligence area and the times that he had met with Fry, the young man had seemed very rude and insecure. And yet her heart belonged to him. He shook his head. There was no point in even trying to figure this one out.

Leela stood outside Fry's apartment, tempted to knock, but afraid of what she would find on the other side. She knew that he had been angry with her after the little episode with Rodney, but she had to talk to him. There were a few things that she had to know.

Courage didn't find her that night, though and she walked out of Robot Arms Apartments with tears in her eye. She had finally gotten rid of Fry's annoying pestering and she was going to marry Rodney, her life was perfect. Just perfect.


	13. An Unfortunate Incident

_Author's Note: I would like to thank emeraldLINX, Denise Simpson, Jaded Angel, Penname wa Silver B and NoDogg063 for their reviews. Hope you like the cliffhanger.... Chapter 14 is coming soon _

Chapter 13 – An Unfortunate Incident

Fry threw his legs over the side of the bed. For the eighth night in a row, he was up at midnight. Against his own will, he had forced himself to put Leela out of his mind. For the eighth time, he would be going to spend the rest of the evening at the all night diner with Rae. And if he got lucky, this time he wouldn't be coming home alone.

Fry walked quietly out of his apartment complex and into the busy New New York Street. His shoulders slumped with exhaustion and he struggled to keep his eyes open and his legs working. But he was determined to go see Rae. She was the only person that seemed to allow him to put Leela in the past. Her girlish demeanor reminded him nothing of Leela and, unlike Amy, she knew nothing of the woman that had held his heart since December 31, 2999. Leela didn't have to be a part of his future.

He opened the door to the diner and walked in, taking his normal booth at the back of the diner. His presence caught Rae's eye and she came sauntering over. Her light brown hair hung free about her shoulders tonight and her blue eyes sparkled when she saw Fry.

"Hey there," she said, smiling.

Fry smiled and motioned for her to sit, "Hey."

She took her seat across from him and they engaged in their usual friendly chatter. Customers came and went at this time of night and from time to time, Rae was called to the counter to fill an order. When she walked away, Fry would lean back in the booth, close his eyes and try to erase what memories of Leela came flashing to his mind. He didn't really know why he did it; he was only going to have to face her again in the morning when he went into work. But that was another battle and he would fight it when he came to it. For now, he just wanted to sit and enjoy a moment of sanity.

"I brought you some coffee," Rae said as she took the seat in front of him again, smiling.

"Thanks," Fry told her as he took a small sip of his coffee. The small bell above the door rang again to signal another customer's entrance. Fry glanced up to observe one more lonely soul who found their way into the diner. He almost choked at the sight.

Rae looked at him, a glimpse of concern crossing her face. She followed his gaze to the young woman standing at the counter in a green jacket and combat boots. There, in the only sanctuary Fry had been able to find in the three months since this whole ordeal started, stood Leela.

"Friend of yours?" Rae asked curiously, eying Fry.

He shook his head, "No, I thought it was someone I knew, but I was wrong." He slouched down into the booth and kept his eyes glued onto his coffee, hoping that she wouldn't see him.

Leela placed her order for black coffee and then looked around the diner for a quiet place to sit. She needed some time to think. Fry hadn't been at his apartment (or at least wasn't answering the door), wouldn't talk to her at work, and hadn't been returning her phone calls for the last eight days.

She walked to a booth by the back of the diner and took her seat. Even though it was fairly warm, she was freezing inside and closed her jacket around her. The past few days had been a blur and she had yet to hear from Rodney. It wasn't like him to just take up and leave, even if it was an emergency like that. She sighed and took a sip of her coffee.

Surveying the diner, she wanted to choke when she saw a familiar red jacket and trademark tussled red hair. Fry was sitting with a cute young waitress and the two were visibly flirting. She began to boil inside when she saw his hand cover hers. She had spent the past three months in a perpetual guilt trip while he had a girl on the side. Leela sighed and sunk down in the booth. She had no one to blame but herself and she knew it. Fry had never asked for her pity, only her friendship and she hadn't even been able to give him that. Now, she didn't even have Rodney. She was alone.

Fry sipped slowly at his coffee as Rae went on about some classes she was taking at the local college. He was interested in her, he really was, and his full attention would have been with her had Leela not walked in. He knew that the damage was done, though. Leela had seen him there with another girl. Although he tried to fight it, he felt a smug sense of satisfaction. But it was short-lived by the memory of Rodney. Leela wouldn't be jealous; she had Mr. Perfect waiting for her on her doorstep.

Leela sighed as she laid a small tip on the table and got up to leave. She walked quickly across the diner and paused momentarily at the door. Her eyes met with Fry's and for a moment she wanted desperately to say something, anything. He would have known just the thing to say about Rodney to make her feel better. His comfort was clumsy and even awkward, but his mere attempt always seemed to make her feel better. But, again, she didn't stop. She only walked out into the dark night.

Leela walked down the street and then stopped, gazing up at the stars, "You really do hate me, don't you?" she said into the dark night. She continued on her way, fighting back tears.

Fry watched Leela leave the diner and knew that it was now or never. He could go after her, take her in his arms...and make a complete fool of himself all over again. Looking into Rae's eyes, he decided his fate for that night. He taken plenty of chances with Leela and had failed every time, but then, he had never really had a chance with her anyway. Rae, on the other hand was a different story.

"Rae," he said, interrupting her long-winded speech about one of her friend's love affairs.

She looked at him, "Yeah?"

"What time do you get off?"

"In about two hours, at three. Why?"

"Well," Fry looked down at his coffee mug, twirling it slowly around on the table, "Well, I was just thinking that you and I, maybe we could go somewhere more...er...private and...talk."

A look of embarrassment flooded her face, "Oh, Fry, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that, I.."

"No. It's ok; you don't have to explain," he said, sighing, "I shouldn't have even asked."

She reached out and touched his hand. Looking up, he found himself getting lost in her clear blue eyes again.

"Fry," she began quietly and earnestly, "It's not that I don't want to...I like you a lot...but...I have a boyfriend."

Fry looked at her blankly, "You have a boyfriend..." he repeated quietly, pulling his hand from hers.

Rae looked down at the table, "Yeah, I guess I should have told you sooner, but..."

Fry smirked slightly and raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, I guess you should have," he said quietly and got up to leave.

"Fry, please don't go," she said, placing her hand on his arm. He paused for a moment and then took out his wallet and laid a small tip on the table and then started for the door.

"Have a nice life, Rae," he said as he exited the diner and started to make his way back to his apartments. His shoulders sagged and he felt a heavy weight in his chest. His mind was numb with thoughts of Leela, Rae, and Rae's newfound boyfriend.

Outside Robot Arms Apartments, Fry stopped and looked up at the sky, "You really do hate me, don't you?" he asked the night sky.

Rodney crouched low under the starless skies of Omicron Persei 8. His focus should have been on locating the Omicronians that were surely tracking him, but it remained on Leela. A tinge of guilt had been with him ever since he left Earth for not telling Leela that he had planned to call off the engagement. Surely she knew that he had been called to war by now, he reasoned with himself.

Behind him, Rodney heard a loud blast. He turned to see an Omicronian ammunition cell heading straight for him. Though common sense told him to move, his mind and body froze. The large cannonball-like weapon hit him straight in the chest and he could feel his ribs being crushed as he fell from his knees to the ground.

Rodney watched in teary-eyed horror as the Omicronians that had shot the cell stood before him, laughing. The pain traveled from his side and he felt a sharp burning in his chest. He knew one if not both of his lungs had been punctured. He tried to move, but his shoulder had been dislocated in the fall.

Two DOOP soldiers appeared behind the Omicronians and a bloody battle ensued. Breathing was becoming more and more of a chore for Rodney as he watched his fellow soldiers battle the Omicronians. The Omicronians were known for their superior weaponry, but fortunately for DOOP, they were also known for their extreme stupidity. After a few blows with laser guns, the Omicronians fell.

The two DOOP soldiers looked at their fallen victims in triumph and began to walk away. Rodney was filled with panic at the sight of his only chance at life walking away from him. He let out a yell as loud as he could and worried that it could not be heard over the ruckus. But one of the soldiers turned and upon seeing their fallen officer, grabbed the other and ran to his side. Rodney recognized them as Shively and Morris

Morris knelt beside Rodney with a look of horror on his face. The carnage of battle was never a pretty sight. With the help of Shively, he hoisted Rodney's bloody body off the ground and using their shoulders as a support, they began to run back to the base.

Vaguely, Rodney could hear Shively's reassuring words, "It's going to be okay, Jones. We're gonna get you back to the base and you're going to be okay."

Rodney couldn't utter a word in response. The burn in his chest was increasing and it was becoming harder and harder to breath by the second. The battle scene around him was becoming blurry as he struggled to maintain consciousness. Finally, he surrendered to the pain and closed his eyes. He could feel his body being transported by the two men but soon he slipped into unconsciousness.


End file.
